The Hague

The Hague needs 2 days: the Binnenhof (seat of Dutch government since the 13th century) and the Mauritshuis Museum (home to Vermeer's «Girl with a Pearl Earring») on one, Scheveningen beach on the other. April-September is best for combining city and beach. It's somewhat cheaper than Amsterdam. It's the seat of government and of the International Court of Justice -the de facto capital, even though Amsterdam is the constitutional one-, making it the Dutch city with the highest concentration of international institutions.